Category Archives: Ramblings

A Christmas thank you

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It’s Christmas Eve and I’m sat at my folks’ house, surrounded by my family and sipping mulled wine. Life is better than it has any right to be and I’m feeling hugely grateful.

I’ve just received an early Christmas present (a lovely comment on my blog) from Charlotte Rains Dixon and headed over to her blog. She has posted a lovely article about light and how lucky so many of us are.

It got me thinking about the year past and how much has happened, particularly in the last few months. Before September I was someone who had written a book and done nothing with it, only known that I wanted to. In September, spurred on by my wife, I began to do something. It began to with planning, lots and lots of thinking and researching.

This led us first to Joanna Penn and CJ Lyons, who, through a fantastic online course, helped us lay the foundations. Using the contents of the course and my wife’s experience running her own business, Amovita, we created a website and organised the rest of the year. Since then it’s been constant, a massive, exciting, inspiring learning curve that will come to fruition next year with the publishing of the first book and novella.

Continuing the writing was easy for me, something that I loved to do. The big stretch for me, and this is something Elizabeth has more than alluded to in her ‘Mrs Cairns Writes’ blogs, was the blogging and social media that accompanied it. I could quite happily be described as an introvert.

However, after a few days on twitter I discovered something quite wonderful. People are really nice! The thing I’m most grateful for over the last few months, (aside from my daughter giving me a hug after work, my wife giving me a kiss and chocolate-based snacks) are the people I’ve met on twitter.

Some have been only fleeting encounters, ‘hi and thanks for following, RT’ing etc.’ Others have been real conversations, a link formed that adds something extra and lovely to my day.

So, this blog, aside from being to wish you all a wonderful Christmas, is a brief Hi and thanks to the people I’ve ‘met’ in the last four months. It’s been a pleasure, and here’s to next year.

A day in the life of a teacher, musician, writer and father

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In between writing, playing the drums and arm wrestling my daughter (she’s stronger than she looks), I teach. I teach music to students aged between 11 and 18 at a large comprehensive school in London. On some days it’s the most wonderful job and on others, it sucks. Not unlike most jobs I suppose, although on the wonderful days the satisfaction far outweighs any I’ve experienced from any previous employment.

I thought I’d run through my day, mostly in an attempt to get sympathy, but also just for interest. I’m writing whilst working full time and gigging at the weekends, so the day-to-day stuff does impact my writing.

I get into school at half seven, drum practice until 8, then I set up my lessons. Meeting at 8:10 for 5 minutes then into registration. I have a tutor group of 17 and 18 year olds, which makes for fun times. Recently two of my students, a boy and a girl were arguing whether women used ‘women’s charms’ to get what they want and whether this was fair or right.

Into periods 1&2 with my GCSE class, all pretty standard stuff. I finish it with a conversation with one of my students who hasn’t been in the last few lessons. Turns out she was kicked out by her mum a few months ago and has been living on people’s floors. That leaves me with just enough time to run and fill up my water before periods 3&4. Also fairly normal, my year 8s get all shy when we sing Summer Loving from Grease and my year 7 all boys class talk too much.

Lunch and the usual suspects turn up to chat and play guitars. One of my resident year 13’s does his Shane MacGowan impression whilst a couple of year 10’s sing obscure American rock songs really well.

Into period 5 and it’s business as usual, though quieter than usual, which is a relief. Afternoon registration and I’m doing last minute checks on the personal statement of one of my students who’s applying for medicine at Uni. He’s been just a little bit tense over the past few weeks, but with the click of a button, it’s all over.

After school and one of the aforementioned year 10’s comes back to chat whilst I’m planning a lesson for next week. We discuss the merits of painting and her unhealthy birthday breakfast (McDonalds and Kebabs).

Finally, around 3:50 I’m into a meeting where I’m told that the grades we expect our students to get, have just gone up. As our music grades are based upon the students’ maths results from year 6, they already bear little if any resemblance to actual musical talent. This makes an already unlikely outcome into something completely unreachable. So, you know, yay!

Home to a house filled with small people, being expertly fed and cared for by my wife, amidst the most wonderful chaos. We eat dinner, then it’s book time with the small person, interspersed with breaks to chew rubber and steal Auntie Sarah’s water. Bedtime for the little one arrives late tonight  around 8ish and I sit down to write this blog.

Most nights are spent in creating stuff for the website, or tidying up loose ends. The boss (wifey) will normally have a list for me, with everything from writing blogs to editing to baking a cake.

My bedtime will arrive in about 5 minutes. The challenge is whether I can get up the stairs without collapsing.

 

 

Your starting point for discovering the wonderful world of fantasy novels

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Perhaps you’ve watched A Game of Thrones (ace), or read a lot of comics (also ace), and now fancy delving more into the written world of fantasy. Or maybe you love horror but are branching out. Whatever it may be, this blog is your starting point to discovering the wonderful world of fantasy novels. If you think of any other stories I’ve missed, do comment and let us know.

I should point out that all classifications are mine as being the best way I can think of to describe them. Amazon may disagree!

  1. Magician by Raymond E Feist

This wondrous book begins as a classic tale of one boys’ ascent from average Joe, to magician extraordinaire. His journey underpins the entire novel and gives it resonance and depth. However, where it stands head and shoulders above so many others is in the scope and depth that Feist brings to it. From the humble beginnings the world soon becomes much bigger as a raft of characters are introduced, war begins and aliens invade. The world is beautifully realised, the characters thoroughly likeable and the action thrilling. Feist is also unafraid to take his people to unexpected places. The key relationship between our hero Pug and his best friend Tomas is never simple or comfortable.

I could rave about this for days, but to keep it short, if you want to try some swords and sorcery, epic scale fantasy that won’t tax your brain too much, start here.

Like this? Try: the rest of the series from the same author, known as the Riftwar saga.

  1. The Elenium by David Eddings

David Eddings is one of the great masters of the quest fantasy. What Tolkien started many, many authors have run with, though few as successfully or just generally as satisfyingly as Eddings.

The three book series that is The Elenium focuses on a Knight called Sparhawk and his travels to save his young and very beautiful queen, who is encased in diamond to keep her alive. Of course, Sparhawk is joined on his voyage by a number of others, all possessing severe likeability (my blog, my words, nur) and suitable heroism. They are wonderfully easy to read and contain enough cynicism to keep them from spilling over into cheese.

So, the short version is, if you like quests and swords and magic and knights, read this.

Like this? Try: Any of Eddings’ other series, the Belgariad, the Mallorean and the Tamuli.

  1. The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan

This series lasted for an eye-watering 14 books. Don’t panic, I know, it sounds daunting, but let me explain.

This was a top notch update of the quest fantasy as described above. Taking the, at the time more current approach of throwing some relatively innocent types into the firing line, Jordan did a cracking job of really humanising the action while keeping it exciting. The first three or four books in the series really deliver and are well worth the read.

As to whether to read the entire series, it’s up to you. I would argue that there are enough great books out there that you may not need to feel compelled to churn through the lot, but it’s your call.

In short, innocents in danger, beasties, fights and so forth.

Like this? Try: Well, there are a few more of them to go. Also, the Shannara books, by Terry Brooks

  1. The First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie

You may have noticed by now that fantasy authors don’t like to stop at only one. Call them greedy, whatever, I must admit I rather like it.

Coming bang up to date now, I would describe this as being character driven epic fantasy. It follows multiple characters across different settings, some of whom cross paths, often painfully, but always comes back to the characters. Following the exploits of three fairly unsavoury, yet oddly endearing types, plus a heap of others, the books slowly weave a number of interlocking webs. The overall message? Don’t trust anyone, they’re all out to get you. I would describe them as being a little more mature than the previous books and they’re certainly harder hitting. Be prepared for some fairly unpleasant happenings.

In short, nasty things happening to mostly nasty people, whom you can’t help rooting for, all in a fantastically realised world. With swords.

Like this? Try: Abercrombie has released three other standalone novels all within the same world, which are just as good.

  1. American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Just the one. No trilogy or series here, no sir. This brings Fantasy into our world, so I think you could call it contemporary fantasy. Telling the tale of one mans’ journey through the America one only sees in Gaiman’s imagination, the book explores mythology both old and new as the ancient gods, dying out as belief in them runs out, must fight the new gods of the modern world. Told through the eyes of ex-convict Shadow, the book is a classic example of Gaimans’ magical ability to infuse every word with mystery and wonder.

In short, very cool, mesmerising and atmospheric, with a cracking concept.

Like this? Try: Anansi boys, also by Neil Gaiman.

  1. Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson

I’m not sure whether to call this contemporary fantasy or science fiction. It’s very much real worldly, but sometime in the future. I guess I still think that science fiction has to have space somewhere in it, an opinion for which I would probably get laughed at for, but there it is. So, sitting somewhere between the two, Snow crash is a wonderful tale of Avatars with swords, crazy whale hunters and so much more than I can paraphrase here. Based, essentially, around a computer virus, which is a big deal when half of your life is spent in the Metaverse, the successor to the internet, the characters travel around the world in search of the necessary answers.

In short, crazy futuristic fantasy, crammed with ideas and action.

Like this? Try: Maul by Tricia Sullivan

  1. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

Based in the real world, this is a wonderful example of contemporary fantasy. Mixing up Pratchett’s absurd humour with Gaiman’s love of legend, the books focus around an angel and demon, best friends and rather attached to their lives on earth. As the time of reckoning approaches, they, along with an assortment of others attempt to find the Antichrist, prophesied to bring about the end of days. It’s great fun and a wonderful introduction to both authors.

In short, hilarious, poignant and a little silly.

Like this? Try: Anything by either author (see above and below). Also, Robert Rankin

  1. Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett

The Discworld series is, to my mind, one of the greatest fantasy creations of modern times. Behind the humour and impressively human characters, lies a brilliantly conceived world, complete in every way. Having created this amazing place, Pratchett takes great pleasure in this, the first of many books in the series, in throwing his luckless hero Rincewind from one side of it to the other. Rincewind, the eternal pessimist and (anti)hero of the book spends his time stumbling from one life threatening situation to the next, spurred on by the most positive tourist the Discworld has ever seen.

In short, lots of running, screaming and complaining and about a thousand times more funny than that makes it sound.

Like This? Try: There are 39 Discworld novels out there, what’s keeping you?

  1. Legend by David Gemmell

The late David Gemmell was a master of what I would describe as Heroic Fiction. Although his heroes are often unwilling, they posses the morals that we should demand of our muscley fighty types. In Legend, his hero is an old man, past his fighting prime, apparently. Of course, he still manages to defend a castle single handedly whilst being really cool and really, really hard. Gemmell succeeds so well in this because although the plot isn’t the deepest, the characters are just great, and you cannot help but root for them every time.

In short, heroes with swords and axes fighting and being heroic, but not cheesy. A difficult balance to strike.

Like this? Try: Waylander, the King Beyond the Gate and assorted others, all by Gemmell.

 

Why we don’t like spoilers

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I’ve always loved reading about the stuff that happens behind the scenes, be it movies, music or writing. Understanding the thinking behind what a creator is doing, their motivations and grand plans has always interested me.

For some people, knowing too much can ruin the magic and cheapen the experience. I get this, because I have a similar feeling about spoilers. In recent years, particularly in movies, there seems to have developed an insatiable need by some to know what is going to happen. Similarly, movie trailers have gone from being exciting glimpses at what may be, to simply recapping all the important parts of the film in two minutes. Indeed, once you get used to watching them, you can pick out the edits which show the final scene, thereby negating any need to actually see the final thing!

I cannot grasp the logic of wanting to know what happens in a story before experiencing it. This obsession with not getting any surprises has even led to me abandon reading my favourite movie magazine. With all the things going on in our life, we rarely get to see films when they are first released, and I found myself turning through pages and pages of the magazine, leaving them unread as every one had the ‘spoiler alert’ tag at the top.

One of the signs of a well-told story is the need by the reader to know what happens next. It is this that keeps you turning the page when you know you have to get some sleep, or rescue your daughter from the swing. (Hey, she likes being in there, the shouting is just her expressing her pleasure and nothing whatsoever to do with hunger or cramp.)

So what magic is left when we already know what happens next? It’s a bit like watching sport when you know the result. However much you admire the skills on display, the edge just isn’t there.

I’m hoping that someone who likes spoilers reads this. If you do, please let me know why!

 

Getting re-inspired – 10 top tips #NanoWriMo

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We’re already more than a third of the way through NaNoWriMo and the clock is ticking! If, like me, your writing time is squeezed into the spaces between work, bath time with the small one and the other myriad distractions life throws at you, you might be finding it tough to get into the flow.

Alternatively, you may have blasted through the first 15,000 words, but have now hit a wall, the blank page challenging you to figure out what comes next.

Wherever you are, it’s always a good time to take stock, take a breath, and regain some of that excitement you felt on the 1st November. Below are my ten tips, in no particular order, for doing exactly that.

  1. Go for a walk. This may seem an obvious idea, but almost all of my ideas come when I’m wandering the woods near my home, or when I’m travelling. The time that they rarely come is when I’m sat in front of my computer, hands poised above the keyboard. It is however, difficult to convince yourself that going out for a walk can be valuable to your writing. Stepping away from the word count and changing your environment can make your brain work entirely differently. There may even be some form of coffee or cake somewhere on your walk, which might also help with the inspiration. Having said that, see #9 below!
  2. Find new Paths. If, like me, you tend to ‘pants it’ most of the time, what feels like writers’ block can actually be that you’ve forgotten why you went in a particular direction. If you’re feeling like you’ve hit a dead end, go back to the original concept of the book, be it a detailed mind map or a napkin, and explore it. Decide whether your book is still going in the right direction. It may mean deleting the last thousand words, but in the long run it will almost always be an improvement, and get you writing again.
  3. Free Yourself. I have an advantage here, because I write fantasy, but I think that it’s relevant for everyone. There are no rules in writing, except that you write what you want to. Most genres have conventions, but if you view them like that, as guidelines only and instead focus on what the story wants, you can find solutions to pretty much anything. Similarly, your original plan may have been stymied by one of your characters, who decided to do something different from the plan. Let your characters rule and go with them, rather than stressing that you can’t fit what just happened into your original plan. Speaking of which…
  4. Engage with your Characters. In almost any good story, the characters will drive what happens. You need to care about them and be inside their heads. If you’re finding plotting is dragging you down, reconnect with your characters. You can create fact files for them; write their diary for a few days; describe them from the POV of their children/boss/partner and so on. Anything that helps you to understand what they would do in any situation, and why.
  5. Listen to music. I’ve got another post upcoming about this in more detail, but music, along with smell has to be for me the most powerful trigger for mood and feelings. Find some music that creates pictures and transports you somewhere and just sit and listen to it. (unless you want to dance, which is fine. Actually, depends upon where you are. If you write in your local coffee shop, maybe stick with the sitting.) Let the music move you in the same way as a great story and rediscover your muse.
  6. Talk to Someone. You can talk about anything (family, work, interesting diseases), but try at some point to tell someone about your writing. Describe your story and characters and describe why you do it. Try to express the passion you have that makes you sit down every day and actually write. Reconnecting with this passion may well break that deadlock.
  7. Write something different. Despite the deep-rooted need to meet that word count, taking a day out to write something new can be hugely refreshing. Pick something really manageable, say 500 words and a title entirely outside of what you normally do, ‘Chase That Monkey’ or ‘Why carrots are evil’, and have some fun. Also, push yourself to write it differently. Normally verbose? Keep it as simple as you can. Always write in the first person? Go for third person. Stretch yourself with no bigger agenda than having fun.
  8. Use a Timer. Often, just grinding something out can help with your sense of achievement. Sit in your chair, choose a word count (something short) and set your stopwatch, maybe 20 minutes. Then just write. Try to entirely disconnect with your inner critic that says ‘what you are writing sucks’ and just do it. The writing muscle atrophies so quickly, so doing something every day will soon get it working again.
  9. Eat well and sleep well. It seems obvious, but writing when I’ve had the small one trampolineing on my head from half four in the morning is considerably harder than after I’ve had a good night’s sleep. Equally, though less obvious, when I’m eating crap it just doesn’t flow as well. Look after yourself.
  10. Big yourself up. You know that you can do this, and often just reminding yourself of that can make all the difference. Try reading something you’ve previously written that you like. If you’re already published, dig out that screen grab of your book appearing on the Amazon best-seller/NYT best-seller/greatest novel written in Amersham in May 2012 list and revel in a little self-congratulation.

If any of these have inspired I’d love to hear from you, and if you have any other handy inspiration tips, please share them below!

Cheers

Mike

 

What makes the fantasy genre so cool? A quick & quirky list

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Hmmm, what else is cool? My last blog on this got me creating lists, for I am both sad and geeky, and lists bring me pleasure. Yup, that’s how it is, deal with it.

So, I had a trawl down memory lane of as many of the fantasy books as I could remember and picked out the things that always seemed to work, no matter the author or particular style.

  1. The mysterious warrior, with a dark past and some sort of cool weaponry. I’m thinking Aragorn, Waylander etc.
  2. Magic swords. There’s nothing quite like an enchanted sword of ancient times, rich with history and power. And really good for chopping things.
  3. Dragons, with wings and fire. It’s difficult to go wrong with dragons really and a number of recent, wonderful additions to the genre (the Malazan series and A Game of Thrones primarily) have really given them a new lease of life.
  4. Hard chicks. Sorry if that seems a little blunt, but I think that fantasy’s willingness to offer sexual equality through the judicial use of pointy things in worlds that are dominated by men is often overlooked and under-appreciated. Few things are as cool as a woman kicking ass.
  5. Double hard magicians. It’s a cliché to end on, but no fantasy series is quite complete without at least one mystical, all knowing yet annoyingly hands off magic user.

So there it is, the first of many lists. I make no apologies and would, of course, love to read any suggestions you may have.